Chloe Thomson is a horticulturist and passionate gardener keen to share her knowledge with everyone!
Now is the time to jump into the garden, and if you read these tips and feel excited, why not check out Chloe's gift at the bottom of the page?
Chloe is wearing our Fairisle Knitted Vest; you can check it out here
Chloe Tompson's 5 Gardening Tips:
1. Watch the sun
Watching how the sun moves around your garden throughout the day and over the seasons is going to give you the best understanding of where the “full sun” spots are (those with a total of 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily) or where the spots are that get no sun in winter, but full sun in summer.
2. Good plants, start with good soil
Always prep your soil before planting. For garden beds and raised planter beds, add compost and pelletised chicken manure - you can mix it through the top 10cm of soil if you’d like, but it’s not essential. If you’re planting into native/virgin soil then dig the hole for the plant twice as wide as the original pot and the same dept. Fluff up (loosen) the soil at the bottom of the hole and mix a small handful of compost, pelletised chicken manure and a pinch of water-saving crystals through this loose soil. Then plant your new plant and backfill around it with the native soil (you can mix some compost through this, too, if you’d like). HINT - never put potting mix in the ground or into the holes of new plants, it’s a waste and potting mix belongs in pots!
3. New to growing edibles?
Start with your favourite herbs and leafy greens. Think about the things you regularly buy from the supermarket and instead grow them at home! Many of the common herbs like rosemary, sage, oregano and thyme are perennial - so plant them once and they will last for years in your garden, no need to replant yearly.
4. No space to grow fruit trees?
No worries! Grow them in pots instead. For fruit trees in pots, choose a dwarf or super dwarf tree and plant it into a pot with plenty of drainage holes that are 40-50cm wide and deep. Don’t want fruiting trees? Try blueberry bushes, low-growing strawberry plants or clumping upright cane plants like raspberries - all will grow really well in pots.
5. Struggling to grow in pots?
Remember, plants in pots are completely reliant on you for their food. Unlike plants in the ground, they can’t send their roots out to look for the nutrients they need, so you’ll need to fertilise them more regularly than ground plants. For a fast feed, when you know the plant needs a kick or the extra nutrients, quickly use a liquid fertiliser. Otherwise, opt for an organic or organic-based pelletised product that will also improve the potting mix.
Remember, a good gardener is always learning! AND there are no mistakes, only experiments! BUT if you’d like some help to become a better and more confident gardener then join my online course and group coaching program - Sprout School. Use the code MAXTED to save $50 AUD OFF the course and join anytime!
